Glass-serving apparatus



May 7, 1929. H, BROQKE A 1,712,327

GLAS S SERVING APPARATUS I m1HHUHHUMHHIHIH l i lim lNvEmon wlmi-:555sHamermaie MWXM BY ATTORNEY May 7, 1929. H. BROOKE 1,712,327

GLASS SERVING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 25, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 all," f

iNVENTOR warm-'.5555 ,Hol/zelmaie 12a/Maa ATTORNEY BY MM.

Patented May 7, 1929.

HOHER BROOKE, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK;

MARY ISAPHENE IVES BROOKE EXECU'TRIX OF SAID HOHER BROOKE, DECEASED.

GLASS-SERVING APPARATUS.

Application led January 25, 1927. Serial No. 163,485.

The present -invention is concerned with the provision of a novel methodof, and apparatus for delivering molten slugs of glass from a glassfurnace to any suitabletype of finishing machine which forms variousarticles of commercial glassware from the molten slugs.

A primary object of the invention 1s to provide a sim le, practicalmechanism for flowing a slug rom the furnace, severing. the slug anddelivering the slug into a container in such position that the hot endof the slug will be subsequently arranged adjacent the moulding form.

In automatic bottle making machines, the

lass slugs are delivered into containers forming part of a sectionalmould, the container walls serving to predetermine the contour of thebottle which is produced. The neck of the bottle is usually formed by aseparate cooperating mould section associated then or later with thecontainer which has received the molten slug from the furnace. linaccordance with the usual method of iiowing and servingthe slugs, thecolder end. of the slug is received in the neck forming mould,consequently considerably slowing up the moulding operation andrendering the machines less eihtcient in use. By use of the presentapparatus I eliminate this inconvenience, entering the slug into theoriginal container in such a manner that the hotter end ofthe slug maybe subsequently used when moulding the neck of a bottle.

lt is to be understood at the outset however, that the particularmechanism which is used to handle the slug after it has been severed anddumped or otherwise placed into a container is subject to a Wide rangeof variation, and that the glass serving apparatus which l have hereinillustrated, may,ywith slight modifications, be conveniently associatedwith any conventional type of machine as' used for automatically formingcommercial glassware, or may be used to deliver hot slugs of glass evenwhere subsequent manual treatment rather than automatic treatment is tobe had.

In one embodiment of the invention, the slug is gravitationally flowedfrom a discharge orifice in the bottom of the conventional glass furnacebay, severed, emplaced on a rocking dumping trough, and dumped into acontainer. In order that the slugs may dit be of uniform thicknessratherl than assuming a somewhat globular attenuated sha e, I providemeans for expediting the How o the glass which forms the tail end of theslug. This means for assisting gravity may conveniently comprise aplunger acting to equalize the diameter of the slug by actuallyextruding the tail end of the slug through the orifice, and tosubsequently close the orifice. Vertical reciprocating movement of theplunger is so synchronized With the rocking movement of the dumpinreceptacle for the slugs, that the slug at t e time it is sev-` ered,has for the most part assumed a. reclining position in the dumpingtrough. Inasmuch as the entire operation is a very rapid one, andrepeated many times a minute, I find it necessary in some instances toprovide means to expedite the gravitational laying down of the slug inthe moving dumping trough, so that the slug will be straightened outbefore the trough moves to position to gravitationally eject it.

With the above noted and other objects in view, the.l invention consistsin certain novel` features of construction and combinations andarrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth andpointed out in the claims. The invention may be more fully understoodfrom the following description in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, whereinig. 1 is a view in vertical section throu h a glassfurnace and associated serving mec anism embodying the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 isa fragmentary view showing the position of the dumping troughjust after the slug has been discharged into the container.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional detail on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view taken approximately on the line 4`4 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, omitting parts of the actuatingmechanism for the sake of clearness, and showing an arrange- 'nent bywhich the hot end of a slug instead of the cold end may be introducedfirst into an associated container.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5', but illustrating a slightmodification.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive of the draWings,'I have usedthe reference char acter 10 to designate the body of a glass furnacewhich with its associated cap 11 co- 110 operatively defines a laterallyprojecting bay 12 in which molten glass from the main pool in thefurnace flows. The bottom of the bay 12 is formed with the usualdischarge oriice 13 through which slugs off molten glass are flowed. Aplunger 14 mounted for vertical reciprocation through the roof of thebay 12 includes an enlarged head portion 15 adapted to force the moltenglass through the opening and a depending central conical projection 15badapted to seal the outlet opening 13 at the end of each downwardstroke. The usual slug severing knives 16 have been 4shown arrangedunder the outlet opening, but for the sake of elearness, I have omittedtheir Ioperating mechanism which may be entirely conventional. Means isprovidedA for receiving the slugs discharged.

through the opening 13 and delivering them into a container suchV as 17which may be transported subsequently to any desired finishing machine,or may form one of the moving parts of a finishing machine (not shown).

The mechanism for handling the slugs and delivering them to thecontainer 17 has been illustrated as an oscillatory dumping trough 18supported on arms 19 integral with a hub 20 which rotates on ahorizontal shaft 21. This hub carries a tail piece 22 working in a camrace or groove 23 in a cam 24. The cam itself is disposed in horizontalposition and rotates on the upper end of a vertical shaft 25 driven fromany suitable srce of power as through the gear 26, in unison with aglass making machine (not shown).

The shape ofthe cam roove is such that upon each revolution of t e cam,the dumping trough is twice oscillated from the dotted line position ofFig. 1 to the full line position of Fig. 2 and back a ain, therebyreceiving two slu s of glass rom the furnace and dumping t em intosuitable containers 17. Obviously, the cam ma be shaped to retard orspeed up'the troug at the proper times in order to handle the slugs withall due accuracy and expedition.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a slug completely ejected from the furnace andlyin on the dumpin trough which has shifted rom the dotted line to thefull line position to receive it. Movementof the trough from the dottedline to the full line position occupies substantially the same timeinterval as the interval necessary to discharge a complete slug.

Plunger 14 in Fig. 1 has sealed the outlet opening and this plunger doesnot start to rise again until `the dumping trough has moved to theposition of Fig. 2 and almost returned to the dotted line position ofFig. 1. It will be noted that in Fi 1, the tall end of the slug has notyet ha time to assume a reclining position on the trough, and in factthe movement of the trough is so rapid that the slug may not have a.chance to completely straighten itself out by gravity before it isdumped into the container 17. I therefore provide a roller 27 hung froma suitable bracket 28 on the ironwork 29 which encases the bay. Thisroller smooths out the tail end of the slug as the trough movesforwardly, thereby assisting gravity to straighten the slug and assuringthat the slug is in proper shape when it enters the container.Preferably a stationary guide member 30 is associated with each movablecontainer 17 as the latter come into place, so that the slug will beproperly guided into position. This guide may also serve to shape theslug.

As illustrated, the container 17 is formed with a false bottom in thenature of a plunger head 31, and after the container has received theslug it is moved on mechanically or by hand, a bottle neck formingsection applied to the top thereof, and the plunger pushed u wa'rdly tomould the neck of the bottle. hus, the hot end of the slug being at thetop ofthe containerk is in proper position to engage the neck formingmould (not shown).

There are two factors which tend to prevent attenuation of the slug asit is delivered from the orifice. In the first place, the slugcarryingdumping trough is moving orwardly as the slug is being delivered at arate of speed substantially the same as the rate at which the slug isdropping from the furnace. Thus most of the weight of the lower end ofthe slug istaken by the carrier, preventing globular formation at thefront end and attenuation at the tail end of the slug. Furthermore, theplunger head 15 being slightly cut on its under face as indicated at 15,entraps a small portion of the molten glass and serves to positivelyextrude the tail end of the slug, thereby assisting .gravity and movingthe tail end of the slug through at a rate which prohibitsat-tenuation.

The mechanism for synchronizing the movement of the dumping trough withthe movement of the plunger 14 has been shown rather diagrammatically,and in fact the entire drawing is of a diagrammatic nature, no meansbeing shown for bearin the shaft 21, supporting the stationary guide 30,etc. As illustrated, the plunger 14 is operativel connected at its upperend to the intermediate portion of a lever 32 fulcrumed at 33 in abracket 34 secured to iron work of the furnace wall. The other end ofthe lever has a slot and pin connection at 35 with a vertical link 36guided at its lower end in a socket 37. Mounted on the edge of the cam24 is a second cam 38 having grooves 39 therein which cooperate with aroller 40 on the end of a lever 41 to rock the lever. This lever pivotedintermediate its ends as at 43 has a slot and pin connection at 43 withthe link 36.

In operation, assuming that the parts are in the position of Fi 1, thedumping trough continues to move orward until it reaches the position ofFig. 2, the tail of the slug having in the meantime been laid down bythe roller 27. As the dumping trough reaches'. approximately theposition of Fig. 1 on its return stroke, the plunger again lifts, theknives having meanwhile been Withdrawn. By the time the dumping troughreaches the dotted line position of Fig. 1, the plunger will havereached its Vupper position, and the slug will start to deposit on thetrough, the trough moving forwardly at approximately the same rate ofspeed as the rate of flow of the slug. Just prior to the time thatthedumping trough again reaches the full line position of Fig. 1 in itsforward movement, the plunger has seated and extruded the tail end ofthe slug and the knives have moved together to sever the slug. Thisoperation is repeated many times a minute, the speed being limited onlyby the somewhat sluggish action of the molten glass.

In Fig. 5 I have shown an apparatus generally similar to lthat of Fig.1, except that in this instance I dump the slug into the container withthe cold end of the slug uppermost. Here, the container 50 is formedwith a neckl moulding section 51 with which there may be associated abolw ipe 52. It is to be understood that in this gorm of the invention,as well as in the form of Fig. 1, a container is shifted out of the wayand a new container substituted at each movement of the dumpin trough.The mechanism for handling t e container or for subsequently' completingthe manufacture of the glass articles, forming no part of the presentinvention. In Fig.` 5, the only structural modification which I haveillustrated is a roller 53 carried by one of the knives 16 instead of bythe furnace. With this form of the invention, the dumpin trough 18 isswinging rearwardly during t e period that the slug is being dischargedon to it, and after severing the slug, the hot end of the latter fallson the forward endof the trough. When the trough is moved forwardtogravi tationally eject the slug, the slug enters the container 50 withits cold end uppermost, and its hot end in proper position to enter theneck mouldin member 51.

The showin o Fig. 6 is substantially the same as the s owing of Fi 5,except that I have substituted a smoot ing cam 57 for the roller 53.

Obviously, various changes and alterations l might be made in thegeneral form and arrangement of the parts described without departingfrom the invention. Hence I ldo not wish to limit myself to the detailsset forth, but shall consider myself at liberty to make such changes andalterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for serving glass including in combination with a glassfurnace and a lateral bay therein havin a discharge orifice in itsbottom, a tiltin tlmping trough arranged under the ori ce on to which,slugs of glass flowed through the orifice are de-` livered, means forsevering the slugs, and means for. movingthe dumping trough toslug-discharging position after each operation of the knives, the troughbeing arranged close to the discharge orifice and moving at a rate ofspeed which causes the major portion of the slug to be laid down thereonas the slug 'is discharging, and positive mechanical means for layingdown the hot tail end of the slug on the dumping trough before the slugis dumped.

2. A 'paratus for serving glass including in com lateral bay thereinhaving a discharge orifice in its bottom, plunger for closing theorifice, a tilting dumping trough arranged under the orice on to which,slugs of lass flowed through the orifice are deliverec means forsevering a slug after each descent of the plunger to close the oriice,and means for moving the dumping trough to slug-discharging positionafter each operation of the knives, the trough being arranged close tothe discharge orifice and moving at a rate of speed which causes` themajor lportion of the slug to be laid down thereonas the slug isdischarging, and means for la in down the hot tail end of the slug on te umping trough .before the slug is dumped, com rising a member arrangedin the path o; the slu to mechanically smooth down the hot tall the slugas the trough is moved. 4 3. Apparatus as described in claim 1, andwherein 'the means for laying down the tail end of the slug includes aroller arran d in the ath o f movement of the upstandmg tail end). e

4. A device of the class described in claim 1, wherein the means forlaying down the tail end of the slug comprises a roller depending fromthe bay.

HoMER BROOKE.

ination with a glass furnace and a.

end of a vertically reciprocatory

